Maybe seeing Julian Draxler perform very well for Schalke in the Champions League playoffs convinced Arsenal that he is going to be their desperate signing, hoping that for once in this transfer window, a huge signing they’re trying to make will finally got their way.
According to the Mirror, Arsenal are preparing to launch a £40 million bid for Draxler, one of the top talents in Germany; another one in the long line of attacking midfielders who are flooding the national team at a very young age. Draxler is only 19, but he’s already made six appearances, with one goal, for the national side. For Schalke he has played 78 times in the Bundesliga, scoring 13 goals and adding 11 assists.
Is £40 million enough for Draxler? It should be, if we compare him to Mario Gotze, who is at a similar age with a bit more of a record with the national team and Dortmund, who was sold for £37 million. However, reports in Germany suggest that Schalke would like to see a £60 million bid for him in order to let him go.
Draxler is signed until 2018, so there’s really no rush for the German club, who’ll appear in the Champions League this season, to make him move anywhere. Maybe Draxler is a bit distraught by the rather disappointing beginning from his club to the league campaign, but it’s hard to imagine Schalke wanting to let him go if they truly are in some sort of hot mess. Not having any time to find a replacement (and really, there isn’t anyone good enough Schalke can but in any case) isn’t a real incentive to let him go.
Arsenal are desperate to make something happen. They’re looking at their rivals, Tottenham, who seem to be adding a new player every day and have an almost completely new lineup going into the new season. Draxler seems to be yet another one of those approaches which are impossible to follow through on, just so Wenger can say he tried.